JPH05280855A - Electric refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent foods in a refrigerator from being dried and hereby keep freshness by providing a water diversion passage branched from a water supply pipe for supply water to a moisture absorbing filter, and further providing a switching valve for selectively switching the water at a branch point to an ice making tray side and a moisture absorbing filter side. CONSTITUTION:A moisture absorption container 22 including a moisture absorbing filter 21 is provided in a refrigerator chamber 3, the moisture absorbing filter being capable of preventing foods from being dried. Further, a water diversion passage 23 branched from a water supply pipe 20 is provided between a moisture absorbing filter 21 side and the water supply pipe 20. A switching valve 24 is provided at the branch point for switching a water flow to an ice making tray 15 side and a moisture absorbing filter 21 side, whereby water in a water supply tank 18 is supplied to the moisture absorbing filter 21. Water supply to the moisture absorbing filter 21 is effected by switching the switching valve 24 on the basis of a predetermined program. Thereby, foods contained in the atmosphere absorption container 22 is fed with adequate moisture, and hence the freshness of foods are prevented from being lowered in a short time and dried.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric refrigerator, and more particularly, to a means for preventing food from drying and maintaining its freshness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric refrigerator has a freezing room, a refrigerating room, a vegetable room, etc., and cool air generated by an evaporator arranged at the rear of the freezing room is supplied to the freezing room by a blower fan. The cold air is supplied to the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment through a cold air duct connected to the cold air distribution compartment, and the cold air supplied to each of these compartments is passed through a cool air return passage formed on a partition wall between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment to an evaporator. It is supposed to be returned to.
In recent years, electric refrigerators are increasingly equipped with an automatic ice making device that can automatically supply water to an ice making tray and repeat ice making, but the water is stored in a water supply tank placed in the refrigerator compartment. In addition, the water is supplied to the ice tray by pumping up to the freezer side via the water supply pipe connected to the water supply pump.

[0003]

By the way, the temperature of the evaporator that produces cold air has dropped to about -30 ° C. during the operation of the compressor, while the temperature of the refrigerating system is returned to the evaporator via the cold air return passage. The cool air on the room side has risen to about 5 to 7 ° C. Therefore, when the humidity that has flowed into the refrigerating chamber due to the opening and closing of the door reaches the evaporator together with the circulating cool air, it is cooled and becomes frost, and dry cool air is generated. Therefore, the humidity in the refrigerating compartment also becomes low, and the water content of the food evaporates and dries, so that there is a problem that, for example, vegetable salad cannot maintain its freshness and freshness unless its container is covered with wrap or the like. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric refrigerator capable of imparting an appropriate amount of water to food stored in a refrigerating compartment.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an automatic ice making device is provided in a freezer compartment, and a water supply tank is provided in a refrigeration room. In an electric refrigerator configured to pump up by a water supply pump and supply water to an ice tray through a water supply pipe connected to the water supply pump, a moisture supply container equipped with a moisture supply filter is provided in the refrigerating chamber, and the water supply is performed. A diversion channel for branching from the pipe to supply water to the humidification filter was provided, and a switching valve for selectively switching the flow of water between the ice tray side and the humidification filter side was provided at the branch point.

[0005]

With the above construction, there is a humidifying container having a humidifying filter in the refrigerating chamber, and between the humidifying filter side of the humidifying container and the water supply pipe for supplying ice making water to the ice tray. Has a water diversion branch from the water supply pipe, and a switching valve for selectively switching the flow of water between the ice tray side and the humidification filter side is provided at the branch point between the water diversion line and the water supply pipe. Therefore, the water in the water supply tank can be supplied to the moisture supply filter, so that the food contained in the moisture supply container can be appropriately moistened.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electric refrigerator, and 1 is a heat insulating box having a freezing compartment 2, a refrigerating compartment 3 and a vegetable compartment 4. Behind the freezing compartment 2, an evaporator 5 and a blower fan 6 for sending the cool air generated in the evaporator 5 to the respective compartments 2 to 4 are arranged, and the cool air to the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 is The air is sent through a cold air duct 8 connected to a cold air distribution chamber 7 behind the freezing chamber 2. Each room 2
The cold air sent to 4 to 4 is returned to the evaporator 5 through two upper and lower cool air return passages formed in the partition wall 9 partitioning the freezer compartment 2 and the refrigerating compartment 3. Further, the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 are provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) and opening / closing devices 10 and 11 for opening / closing the outlet of cold air under the control of a microcomputer. The partition wall 9 has a trough 12 for receiving defrosting water flowing down from the evaporator 5 side when the refrigerator is defrosted, and the defrosting water collected in the trough 12 is illustrated. It is designed to be made to flow down to the evaporation tray 13 by a drain pipe which is not provided and to be evaporated by utilizing the heat generation of the compressor 14 or the like.

The automatic ice making device includes an ice tray 15 supported by a driving device (not shown), a temperature sensor 16 for detecting the temperature of the ice tray 15, a stocker 17 for storing ice,
A water supply tank 18 arranged on the refrigerating compartment 3 side for storing ice making water, a water supply pump 19 for pumping up the water in the water supply tank 18 to the freezing compartment 2 side, and this water supply pump
Water supply pipe 20 for guiding water pumped up by ice tray 19 to ice tray 15, drive device for ice tray 15 and water supply pump 19
It is configured by a microcomputer for driving and controlling the etc., the microcomputer determines that the ice making is completed when the temperature of the ice tray 15 detected by the temperature sensor 16 satisfies a preset value, Do not drive the drive device to turn the ice tray 15 upside down, store the ice in the stocker 17, return the ice tray 15 to the original state, operate the water supply pump 19, and then return the ice tray 15 to the water tank 18 again. It is designed to repeatedly supply water.

By the way, in this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 3
A moisturizing filter that can prevent food from drying inside 21
A humidification container 22 including the
Between the side and the water supply pipe 20, the water diversion branch from the water supply pipe 20
23 is provided, and a switching valve 24 for switching the flow of water between the ice tray 15 side and the humidification filter 21 side is provided at the branch point between the water diversion path 23 and the drainage pipe 20, and the water in the water supply tank 18 is supplied with the humidification filter. I am trying to supply 21. Although the humidification container 22 itself is fixed to the lower part of the partition wall 9, the humidification filter 21 needs to be regularly cleaned because water stains and the like adhere to it when it is used for a long period of time. Although it is not, it is configured to be removable. Water supply to the humidification filter 21 is performed by switching the switching valve 24 based on a preset program. It should be noted that the switching of the switching valve 24 is not executed during the water supply to the ice tray 15. Further, the number of times of supplying water to the humidifying filter 21 may be determined, for example, once a day, but for example, a humidity sensor is provided in the humidifying container 22 to detect humidity, and switching is performed based on the detected value. If the valve 24 is controlled, finer humidity control can be performed.

[0009]

As described above, in the electric refrigerator provided with the humidifying container as described above, since the food contained in the humidifying container can be appropriately moistened, the freshness of the food can be shortened. It's convenient because it doesn't get dry or dry and you don't have to wrap it like before.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of an electric refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Insulation box 2 Freezer 3 Refrigerator 5 Evaporator 7 Cold air distribution chamber 8 Cold air duct 15 Ice tray 18 Water supply tank 19 Water supply pump 20 Water supply pipe 21 Humidification filter 22 Humidification container 23 Water diversion channel 24 Switching valve

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic ice making device is arranged in a freezer compartment, and a water supply tank is arranged in a refrigerating compartment. The water in the water supply tank is pumped up by a water supply pump, and a water supply pipe connected to the water supply pump is used to make an ice tray. In an electric refrigerator configured to supply water, a humidifying container having a humidifying filter is provided in the refrigerating chamber, and a water diversion path is provided for branching from the water supply pipe to supply water to the humidifying filter, and the branch is provided. An electric refrigerator characterized in that a switching valve for selectively switching the flow of water between the ice tray side and the humidification filter side is provided at a point.